JJ McCarthy doubles down on Jim Harbaugh's Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen comparison

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh clearly thinks highly of his quarterback, JJ McCarthy. He made that abundantly clear at Big Ten Media Days, comparing McCarthy to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen — two of the best players in the NFL.

“I think some compare him to Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, would be two,” Harbaugh said. “And I know there are others that have that level of talent plus the quarterback position willing to do anything for their team.”

McCarthy was asked for his reaction to the comparison, saying Harbaugh making it felt good. Looking up to guys like Allen and Mahomes is easy for people looking to break into the NFL in the near future. However, McCarthy is still a competitor and wants to be better than the AFC duo one day.

“It means so much coming from him,” McCarthy said via Brad Galli of WXYZ Detroit. “I just value his opinion so much. It just reaffirms to be that what I am doing is the right thing. Just continuing to do that. But at the end of the day, I just got to continue focusing on myself, keep improving myself. I emulate those boys, I observe them all the time but I am trying to surpass them.”

Now, when making the comparison to Allen and Mahomes, Harbaugh was more talking about their interactions with teammates. When you are the starting quarterback of a program such as Michigan, being a leader excelling in that role is important.

Harbaugh already likening it to current NFL greats is a positive note for Wolverine fans.

“I base that off of watching the way that Patrick Mahomes interacts with his teammates, what he says about his teammates, and what they say about him,” Harbaugh said. “Josh Allen, what he says about his teammates, what they say about him. So just looking through the keyhole that way. But that’s what I see in J.J. McCarthy every single day.”

As for actual play on the field, McCarthy has a big year ahead of him. Michigan has aspirations of winning a national championship, not just making the College Football Playoff. McCarthy is going to have to have a special 2023 season in order to do so.

Maybe not exactly at a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen level but certainly somewhere nearly close. If McCarthy can pull it off, Harbaugh’s comparison may be looking correct come the end of the year.